KUALA LUMPUR – During its heated meeting last night, the Umno Supreme Council was initially hell-bent on having Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob reject his new deputy prime ministership that he had accepted just hours earlier, but members eventually relented to the appointment.
The Vibes was made to understand that the party’s highest decision-making body felt that, at the end of the day, it was up to him whether to accept the promotion on a personal basis, not on behalf of the party.
However, Ismail Sabri’s appointment is said to go against a decision made by the Supreme Council during its meeting in Janda Baik, Pahang, earlier this year in February, in which it was decided that Umno will not accept offers to fill the deputy prime minister’s post – consistent with its push then for the general election to be held soon.
By accepting the position, some within the Supreme Council felt that Ismail Sabri, who is also the defence minister, may have opposed the party and should, therefore, be subject to disciplinary action.
Any action, however, would be up to the disciplinary board to decide.
Apart from Ismail Sabri, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein was also given a promotion yesterday, and is now a senior minister. Like Ismail Sabri, he, too, accepted the promotion.
The minor cabinet reshuffle yesterday is seen as a desperate bid on the part of Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to retain the top seat amid continued bickering between his party, Bersatu, and Umno.
Following an intense four-hour meeting that stretched past midnight last night, Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that the party is withdrawing its support for Muhyiddin and his government with immediate effect.
The party also called on Muhyiddin to step down honourably and make way for an interim prime minister who will focus on putting Malaysia back on track amid the Covid-19 pandemic, before a general election is called.
However, in a live broadcast of his press conference, Zahid made no mention of whether Ismail Sabri and Hishammuddin should reject their promotions, a matter that was said to have infuriated the majority of the Supreme Council.
Umno elections director Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman revealed that a majority of the council’s members did not agree to the appointments, although some, supposedly with government positions, defended the move.
However, the Supreme Council member said this sentiment of disapproval is not shared by many Umno grassroots leaders, including division chiefs, who appear to welcome the appointments.
On Umno’s move to pull its support for Perikatan Nasional (PN), Tajuddin said all party members have to abide by the council’s decisions, whether they agree with them or otherwise.
“The decision is final. All I can say is, not all members supported the move,” he told The Vibes today. However, he declined to reveal the names of those opposed to leaving PN.
“But, as a party man, we have to follow the majority. Otherwise, leave the party. That is the principle of being a party member.”
When pressed for further comments, Tajuddin said: “I’m not in the mood today. There will be a right time for me to talk about this.” – The Vibes, July 8, 2021
